Welcome to the second edition of The Beacon
Discover local charity news, events and find out more about our Community Outreach Service.
We particularly welcome stories and ideas from our readership and so, if you have any news that you would like shared through The Beacon, please email thebeacon@stjohnsbath.org.uk
News around St John's...
Bath Life Awards!
We were thrilled to be one of ten local charities nominated for 'Charity of the Year' at last week's Bath Life Awards. Whilst every charity nominated was a worthy winner, we were delighted to congratulate Southside Family Project and Bath City Farm for being the first ever joint winners of this annual award. Both organisations have such an incredible impact on our community and were deserved winners.
St John's has funded and supported these two hardworking charities for many years and we are delighted to see the city-wide recognition of their work.
You can find a full list of all the winners here.
Funding Support Programme
Since opening the programme in January, the Funding Support Programme has received applications for support to deliver programmes which amount to in excess of £872,000.
In February, 14 charities were awarded funding totalling £255,539.
Throughout this year, we will be raising awareness of the charities directly tackling the social issues being experienced in our local communities. In this edition, you can find out about the pioneering work of Mentoring Plus, who work to train and support adult volunteers to mentor 7 – 21 year olds who are in need of extra support with regard to family issues, education, emotional needs and employability.
Click here to discover Mentoring Plus' story.
News around St John's...
The Bath Half Marathon
This month, a fantastic team of 34 runners will be taking on the Bath Half Marathon! On Sunday 17th March, St John's staff, partners and supporters will be raising money for the Action Against Child Poverty 'Lifestyle Change Programme'.
This programme is a three-year targeted initiative being delivered in partnership by six local charities to address child poverty within Bath and the surrounding area, including Sporting Family Change, Southside Project, Wansdyke Play Association, SWALLOW and Off the Record. Last year, we were thrilled to welcome Bath Rugby Foundation to join the programme delivery team.
Visit our Just Giving page to find out more and how to donate.
Dementia Friends
As part of our commitment to raising awareness of Dementia and the affects it can have on an individual's life, we are offering the following Dementia Friends sessions here at St John’s Foundation. Sessions are free to attend and open to anyone keen to find out more.
Thursday 21st March @ 6 – 7pm BOOK NOW
Tuesday 23rd April @ 10 – 11am BOOK NOW
Thursday 16th May @ 6 – 7pm BOOK NOW
Wednesday 12th June @ 2 – 3pm BOOK NOW
All sessions take place at St John’s Foundation, 4/5 Chapel Court, Bath, BA1 1SQ.
If you are a group or organisation that would like your own private session for your staff and/or volunteers, please contact ricky.bush@stjohnsbath.org.uk.
Meeting the Need
Each quarter we invite you behind the scenes of St John's, to discover more about the support we provide and the impact of our work in the community. In this edition, we are delighted to shine a light on our Community Outreach Service.
Our Community Outreach Service
Our varied programme offers physical, creative and wellbeing activities that are fun and sociable. We facilitate these opportunities to help people enrich their lives, promote positive ageing in our community and reduce isolation and loneliness.
We work in partnership with many organisations, including LinkAge Network, Bath College, Goldies UK, Arty Buddies, Curo, and many more which enable people to engage actively with their local community and access services they may not otherwise know about.
Our impact in 2018
"Since coming to St John's activities I feel amazing! My health and happiness is so much better than it used to be. I have somewhere to go and meet new friends. Everyone is so supportive and encouraging - but it's also great fun to try something new. I have so much to look forward to each week and I can honestly say that if it wasn't for St John's I wouldn't want to get up in the morning."
What's On Guide
Loneliness can have a detrimental effect on an older person's life, we have seen first-hand the positive impact that good social groups and engaging activity can have.
We are therefore extremely excited to share with you our brand-new Spring/Summer 2019 What's On Guide! The Guide is packed with activities, social groups and services.
Click here for your exclusive look at our What's On Guide.
To find out more about our Community Outreach Programme, please contact our team or visit our website here.
Did you know?
St John's Foundation is amongst the top three largest landlords in Bath. We are extremely fortunate to have an extensive residential and commercial property portfolio, which has been built up over the centuries.
This portfolio is the backbone of St John’s, generating much of the vital funds that make all our other work, such as our Almshouse and Care provision, Funding Support Programme and Community Outreach Service, possible.
We are able to deliver our Funding Support Programme due, in large part, to the income we generate from the residential and commercial properties we manage. Responsible stewardship of different types of property drives our ability to support more people every year.
In 2018, we completed two flagship developments; Chandos House and St Catherine's. Both properties were once much loved St John’s Almshouses, but due to certain building regulations and restrictions, were no longer fit for purpose. Rather than dispose of two significantly historic city centre buildings, we worked with local experts to innovatively re-develop and create new revenue streams from which we are investing in the people, enterprises and communities of Bath.
Chandos House, a Grade 2* Listed Building adjacent to our city centre base, was transformed to create seven elegant apartments. Offering these on a long-lease model presented a unique housing purchase and independent living option for older people in Bath.
Chandos House was a project that personifies everything we do; helping older people live independent lives in a way that both generates funds for our wider work and which protects and enhances treasured properties in our city.
St Catherine’s Hospital, one of Bath’s best hidden gems, was transformed to give it a new lease of life and a new purpose. We worked with the team at Hiding Space to create high quality accommodation, whilst maintaining its Listed status, for visitors looking for an exclusive experience when visiting Bath. View our St Catherine's apartments here.
The revenues we generate through the careful management of our properties in Bath are what underpins our Funding Supporting Programme. This is our impact in Bath.
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Credits:
Anna Barclay Photography